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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25786567">none so deaf</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/amsves/pseuds/amsves'>amsves</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Tick (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Deaf Character, Gen, aka there are actual consequences from the VLM</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:28:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,045</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25786567</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/amsves/pseuds/amsves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Commander Tyrannosaurus Rathbone was simply minding his own business in his office, going through an eternally-growing stack of paperwork when, almost like a sixth sense, he knew something loud was about to go down. </p><p>His instincts proved him right not five minutes later when Arthur, one of the newest heroes at this particular AEGIS branch, knocked politely on the glass door and then barged in without waiting for an answer.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arthur Everest &amp; Ty "Tyrannosaurus" Rathbone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Bad Things Happen Bingo</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>none so deaf</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hello i live</p><p>also I am not deaf! I did some research but if I have inaccurately/offensively portrayed the experiences of a "newly" deaf person (3months or less) please let me know either in the comments or by messaging me on Tumblr</p><p>i just think it would be interesting if arthur lost his hearing for more than five minutes after living through a massive explosion at point-blank range</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Commander Tyrannosaurus Rathbone was simply minding his own business in his office, going through an eternally-growing stack of paperwork when, almost like a sixth sense, he knew something loud was about to go down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His instincts proved him right not five minutes later when Arthur, one of the newest heroes at this particular AEGIS branch, knocked politely on the glass door and then barged in without waiting for an answer. Rathbone didn’t mind; Arthur was a nice, humble guy, so if he was incensed enough to come straight in without delay then it was probably important enough to put pleasantries aside. Besides, even if Rathbone had said anything, the hero wouldn’t have been able to hear it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the weeks since Arthur had defused the VLM and saved The City, the ringing in his ears had stopped, but his normal hearing had never returned. As the days went on, they all had to accept that both Arthur Everest, civilian, and Arthur, hero, were permanently deaf. It was just one more example of a sacrifice made by a civilian in AEGIS’ absence. Rathbone felt a pang of guilt run up his spine every time he had to be reminded of how badly AEGIS had failed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that wasn’t the matter at hand. Whatever Arthur had to say was. After closing the door behind him, Arthur asked Rathbone a simple question at a volume just a touch too loud: “Did you only let me into AEGIS for diversity?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rathbone sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Son, I don’t know who gave you that idea, but they’re dead wrong. Why would you ever think that?” His reply was accompanied by the appropriate ASL signs; he’d learned it about ten years back, and Arthur was studying it now (and making tremendous progress, to the point where Rathbone sometimes felt embarrassed at how long it had taken him to grasp it, though he always shrugged the feeling off).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arthur set his helmet, which he had been carrying, down on Rathbone’s desk to free up his hands. “I’m a registered hero, but you don’t let me act like one. I know I’m physically weak, mentally ill, not a Category, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>deaf, so why the hell did you let me be a hero in the first place? What’s the angle here for giving me a hero license and then not letting me use it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rathbone was fairly sure Arthur didn’t notice that his volume level had progressed from ‘slightly too loud’ to ‘actually shouting’. Agent Miranda Lee, who was stationed just outside the glass walls of the Commander’s office, was looking in with concern on her usually-impassive face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want to believe that you believe in Tick and me,” Arthur continued, unaware of Rathbone’s concerns, “But people keep saying it’s just so you can look progressive for having a disabled hero at AEGIS or whatever, and it’s hard not to take them seriously when you don’t let me do hardly anything except stand around.” Rant over, he crossed his arms in front of his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The idea that people at AEGIS, </span>
  <em>
    <span>his own </span>
  </em>
  <span>people, would be saying such things enraged him, but that problem could be addressed later. Rathbone took a moment to consider his next words. Much as he would prefer not to admit it, the kid had a point. “You’re right that I haven’t been acting fairly,” he said slowly. “I regret making you feel that you’re being used for optics. I just wanted to …” he swallowed, “Keep you safe. Like I should have since the … incident.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arthur narrowed his eyes. “I took down </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Terror</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he said, like Rathbone needed the reminder, like this mistake and all the others didn’t haunt him whenever he saw Arthur. “I don’t need you to keep me safe, Commander. I want to keep other people safe. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I can protect myself.” His ASL was sharp and furious, matching the fire in his tone, to the point where Rathbone would have struggled to keep up if they weren’t also talking.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He’s right, of course,</span>
  </em>
  <span> the voice in Rathbone’s head whispered. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But … </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hush, you</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Rathbone replied. Out loud, he said, “I know you can. But the point is that you </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to, when it should have been AEGIS doing the protecting. We left you alone after you had your world turned upside down, and we ignored you for years while you just wanted to help. I know it’s too late, but I wanted to try and make up for our failures, just a little bit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stood up from his chair. “You finally made it, Arthur. You finally achieved your dream and joined AEGIS. I just wanted to keep you alive long enough for you to enjoy it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Being a </span>
  <em>
    <span>hero </span>
  </em>
  <span>was my dream,” Arthur corrected. “Right now? I have the license, and I’m on AEGIS’ payroll, but I don't feel like a hero. I feel like a mascot.” He stared Rathbone dead in the eyes, and the commander suddenly felt very small, like it was Arthur who had half a foot on him and not the other way around. “Let me and Tick be real heroes. Let us out there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right,” Rathbone conceded, not looking away from Arthur’s intense gaze. “I’m in the wrong. You’ve proven yourself time and time again that you’re cut out for this kind of work, and in return I’ve kept you away from it. Starting today, you’re out in the field.” He extended his right arm across the desk, and the hero grasped his hand in a weak handshake. “We’ve got intel that some low-level villains are going to rob the bank on 3rd Street today. You think you and Tick can handle that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arthur’s lips twisted into a confident smirk. “I think we might be able to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hop to it, then,” Rathbone said, withdrawing from the handshake before making a shooing motion with his free hand. Arthur saluted and grabbed his helmet before walking through the office door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the young hero was gone, Rathbone sank back into his chair wearily, and hoped he hadn’t just made a huge mistake. In the meantime, he’d keep an ear to the ground more often. Maybe he’d hear what Arthur had been telling him about. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Find me and request bingo squares on Tumblr (I’m @therewillbebeauty)! I'm playing both Fluff Bingo and Bad Things Happen Bingo, so I can either torture or pamper your fave--or both!</p><p>(none so deaf as those who will not hear -- proverb)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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